We're in This Together: 12 COVID-19 Relief Plans for Small Businesses

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Social distancing protocols are being encouraged or enforced around the world. While these are important measures for managing the COVID-19 pandemic, retail stores and restaurants are facing unprecedented challenges as a result.

At Lightspeed, we firmly believe small and medium businesses are vital to communities, and we want to help you get through this. In addition to our own resources and offers for Lightspeed customers, a number of other companies have put COVID-19 relief plans into place to help you maintain cash flow and reduce your expenses.

Visit the COVID-19 resource hub

eCommerce relief plans

Help your customers keep shopping with you even during social isolation and quarantines.

Lightspeed eCom

AdVision

Accumula

OrderCup

1. Lightspeed eCom

Offering: 3 months of free eCom integration.

You know who we are–we’re the all-in-one cloud-based POS system that’s dedicated to small and medium businesses.

To help retailers pivot to an eCom-first model for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re offering Lightspeed Retail customers 3 months of Lightspeed eCom, free. Keep your sales going and keep business continuity for your customers by taking advantage of our offer.

You can get in touch about our offer by contacting your AM or by requesting to speak to an expert here.

2. AdVision

AdVision is a Lightspeed integration partner that offers web store development packages and applications to enhance your eCommerce site. It is available to retailers using Lightspeed eCom.

Many experts are encouraging customers to purchase gift cards to support their favourite local retailers. Integrating omnichannel gift card functionalities into your eCommerce store means those customers can keep shopping with you now, not later.

3. Accumula

Offering: curbside pickup capabilities and waived fees for adding new locations for existing customers. A 90 day trial period, discounts and flexible payment terms for new customers.

Accumula is a custom eCommerce integration developer. Their offer is open to any retailer using an eCommerce platform.

Existing customers can reach out to Accumula to add multiple locations to their integration for free. This will enable you to maximise the inventory you have available to sell through eCommerce, even if those locations are physically closed thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic.

New customers focusing on their eCommerce can try out Accumula’s suite of solutions with longer trial periods. When you’re ready to sign up, you can work with Accumula for flexible payment terms that allow you to accommodate your current retail reality in the face of COVID-19.

4. OrderCup

OrderCup is an eCommerce shipping solution that helps you streamline your order fulfilment workflow. Their offer is open to new and existing customers using a retail eCommerce platform.

With OrderCup, you can set up an efficient shipping schedule to get orders out to your eCom customers without hassle. OrderCup supports global shipping, so you can start to build an international customer base to support your business.

Marketing relief plans

5. Facebook

Offering: $100M in grants for small businesses.

Facebook is another big player who needs no introduction. To support small businesses through the COVID-19 pandemic, they’re offering $100M in cash grants and ad credits. This offer is open to businesses of all kinds, including retailers and restaurants.

Up to 30,000 businesses in over 30 countries will be chosen to receive grants and ad credits. Businesses interested in participating should sign up for updates from Facebook so they can apply as soon as the program opens.

Delivery service relief plans

If you’re seeing less dine-in customers or you’ve closed your restaurant, delivery services can help you keep a steady stream of business.

Lightspeed delivery integration

UEAT

UberEats

Mobi2Go

6. Lightspeed delivery integration

Offering: 3 free months of the delivery integration.

With restaurants around the world switching to delivery and take-out only models to help manage the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re offering Lightspeed Restaurant customers 3 months of free delivery integration.

Lightspeed’s delivery integration helps you connect to some of the biggest 3rd-party delivery aggregators. To optimise the experience for your diners and keep them coming back to your site, do a quick audit of your menu—the best delivery candidates are dishes that can travel well and be reheated without losing their special oomf.

You can get in touch about this offer by contacting your AM or by requesting to speak to an expert here.

7. UberEats

Offering: waiving delivery fees.

UberEats is a popular third-party delivery service platform that enables restaurants to serve customers within a certain radius of their establishment.

With restaurants being mandated to either serve 50% of their usual capacity or close their dining room altogether, pivoting to takeout and delivery services is essential for restaurants to weather the storm.

While the commission that third-party aggregators are often a detractor, UberEats is waiving delivery fees in the wake of COVID-19.

8. JustEat

Offering: commission rebate 33% on all commissions paid by restaurants

JustEat is a third party delivery platform that serves roughly 35,700 restaurants in the UK, and is available to deliver food to 95% of all UK postcodes.

To ease the economic burden placed on restaurants at this time, they announced last week that they will offer rebate of restaurants by up to a third until April 19, as well as waiving fees for new customers.

9. Mobi2Go

Offering: special rates for Lightspeed customers.

Mobi2Go is a delivery integration that allows restaurants to offer delivery services through select 3rd-party delivery aggregators. It is available for restaurants, with special rates currently available for businesses using Lightspeed Restaurant.

Whether you decide to manage your own delivery process or use 3rd-party aggregators is a matter of personal choice, but the same delivery prep measures apply either way. The best menu for pivoting to delivery is one that can stand up to the courier process.

10. Google

Google needs no introduction—they’re the masters of remote productivity thanks to G Suite’s offering of productivity tools. Businesses of all kinds, including retailers and restaurants, can take advantage of this offer.

To help you keep in contact with your team, Google’s advanced Hangouts Meets capabilities will be available for all customers until July 1, 2020:

11. Homebase

Offering: HR Pro free for one month for customers.

Homebase is an online employee scheduling and management tool. HR Pro is Homebase’s advanced live support system that connects you to HR experts. Both Homebase and Homebase HR Pro are available for businesses of all kinds, including retailers and restaurants.

Implementing Homebase in your organisation can help you make your team scheduling process more efficient, and can help you track your labor costs.

To help entrepreneurs out in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, HR Pro is free for customers for one month. If you have HR questions about how to handle COVID-19 related staffing issues, HR Pro’s experts can help you get answers.

12. MarketMan

Offering: 2 months of service free and no setup fees.

MarketMan is a restaurant inventory management system. To help restaurants continue optimal operations without breaking the bank, they’re offering new customers 2 months of their service, free. MarketMan is available for restaurants.

Because MarketMan is cloud-based, you can perform your inventory management tasks anywhere, be that in the restaurant or at home in self-isolation. If you’re pivoting to delivery, MarketMan will help you manage your inventory counts and costs while you accommodate for your new revenue stream.

We’re all in this together

It can feel like the COVID-19 pandemic is disrupting everything—but if we help each other out, we’ll get through this together.

In addition to reaching out to the companies and partners that will help you keep running your business optimally, consider speaking to your business’s financial institution. Many banks around the world are prepared to work with their clients to help them keep going.

Finally, don’t forget you can keep up with the Lightspeed blog for tips and resources for managing your business throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. You got this.

Alix Fraser is a Product Content Specialist at Lightspeed HQ. She delights in finding ways to deliver actionable insights to retailers and restaurateurs. When she’s not cooking up data-driven blogs with valuable tricks and tips, Alix is on the hunt for new ways Lightspeed can help entrepreneurs bring their cities to life.